Album Review: Bilal - Love for Sale

Okay, I am going to go ahead and admit my bias for Bilal right now. If you read my review of his first album in the “I Got Beef Edition,” then you are well aware of that fact. I think that he is one of the most creative artist to come along since Prince (no disrespect to Outkast or Van Hunt).

His new CD Love for Sale is the best album you don’t have in your collection and will be an early contender for my Album of the Year if it is ever released. If you are wondering how I got my hands on a copy, well . . . um . . . that’s really not important. What is important is that you need this CD in your life.

He starts the disc off with “Somethin’ to Hold Onto,” a synthesizer-driven track that has him spittin’ honey-covered lines to the object of his desire. You can almost see him in the club, drink in hand, woman against the wall, whispering routines that sound like they came straight from The Game (the book, not the rapper). The next song “You’re All I Need,” which is my favorite, has some of the best production I have heard this side of Timbaland & Pharrell. The bass thumps hard, but doesn’t overpower the Sci-fi driven chords, nor the off-key piano playing. Yes, I said “off-key piano playing,” but somehow it all just blends into one of the most melodious harmonies, I have ever heard. Yet, it is still hard enough that you could listen to it with your boys in the ride and not feel all “brokeback” about it (not that there’s anything wrong with that). “Make Me Over” is another song that you wouldn’t expect to hear from a modern artist, especially one that is not from the South. If you close your eyes while listening you will swear that you are in a Mississippi blues jook joint. You can see it sitting back from the dusty Delta road complete with the creaky wood floors, the smell of fried catfish hovering in your nostrils, while you’re sippin’ on some fine Tennessee bourbon. One of the final songs on the album “White Turns to Gray” is guaranteed to be this year’s baby-maker. Legions of single guys will have this on mix CDs and their Ipod playlists, as they attempt to seduce women from coast to coast. It has one of those rhythm beats (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then I’m not gonna tell you) and equally salacious lyrics to set your night off right.

As of this posting, the album has been shelved indefinitely by his record company. It would be a shame if it never reaches the general public, because it is definitely what is desperately needed on radio right now.

Update 8/7/06: If you would like to check out some of the cuts from the new album, check out Bilal's MySpace page here.